Lynda Matthews

Lynda Matthews is an Honorary Associate Professor in the Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, at the University of Sydney. She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences with First Class Honours and a PhD, and is a qualified rehabilitation counsellor. Her research specializations include posttraumatic mental health, rehabilitation counselling, and vocational rehabilitation. In her career at the University of Sydney, formerly Faculty of Health Sciences, she served as Associate Professor in the Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit and Head of Discipline of Rehabilitation Counselling. She coordinated units such as REHB5063 Rehabilitation of PTSD in the Master of Rehabilitation Counselling program and contributed to courses in Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy, and Bachelor of Applied Science in Diagnostic Radiography.

Matthews led an Australian Research Council-funded project resulting in the report "Death at Work: Improving Support for Families" (The University of Sydney, 2017), which surveyed 109 Australian family members affected by workplace fatalities and conducted in-depth interviews with 44 next-of-kin. The study documented prolonged psychological impacts including 45% with prolonged grief disorder, 55% with posttraumatic stress disorder, and 45% with major depressive disorder, alongside financial hardships and dissatisfaction with institutional responses. Other key publications include "Traumatic Death at Work: Consequences for Surviving Families" (International Journal of Health Services, 2012), "Prediction of Work Functioning Following Accidental Injury: The Contribution of Psychological Factors" (European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 2004), "Trauma-Related Appraisals and Coping Styles of Injured Adults With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury" (Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2009), and recent works such as "Return-to-Work Experiences of Individuals with Common Mental Disorders" (Disability and Rehabilitation, 2024) and "Effectiveness of Interventions Provided by Rehabilitation Counselors" (Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 2025). She represented Health Sciences on the University of Sydney Academic Board.

Professional Email: lynda.matthews@sydney.edu.au